West St. Paul Good Neighbor Award
An annual city award that recognizes neighbors who quietly make West St. Paul a better place to live.
A companion project of Rapid Mutual Aid MN
The Good Stories Project
Local stories worth remembering from West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, Eagan, and the surrounding South Metro.
Why this exists
A quiet record of what neighbors do for each other
A lot of good happens in our neighborhoods that doesn’t always travel far. This page gathers a small set of public local stories so they’re easy to find and remember.
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Pilot coverage: West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, and Eagan.
Local stories
Stories we’re starting with
Each story below comes from a public source. Follow the source link for the full details.
Showing 4 of 13 stories.
Lincoln Center Elementary named a 2025–26 Minnesota School of Excellence
South St. Paul Public Schools shared that Lincoln Center Elementary was recognized through the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association School of Excellence program.
Eagan volunteers support water resources, lake cleanup, and Holz Farm
The City of Eagan runs an ongoing volunteer program for storm drain adoption, lake monitoring, wetland health monitoring with Dakota County, and Holz Farm cleanup days.
Dakota County mayors join an escape-room fundraiser for hunger relief
Mayors from West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, and Mendota Heights took part in the “Free the Mayors, Feed Your Neighbors” event at Nowhere Entertainment in Inver Grove Heights, organized with Neighbors, Inc. to raise funds for hunger relief in Dakota County.
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South St. Paul graduate Vivian K earns a full-ride scholarship to USC
South St. Paul Public Schools shared that a 2025 graduate, Vivian K, matched with the University of Southern California through QuestBridge’s National College Match program.
Sleepy Hollow Park playground reopens in Inver Grove Heights
Inver Grove Heights replaced the aging Sleepy Hollow Park playground. The new structure was installed in April 2026 and is open to the public.
SSP High School seniors mark Decision Day 2026
South St. Paul Public Schools celebrated National Decision Day with seniors sharing their post-secondary plans for college, career, and service.
Lincoln Center hosts its first Career Day
Lincoln Center Elementary held its inaugural Career Day, inviting community professionals into classrooms to share their work with students.
Finding Nemo takes the stage at Kaposia Education Center
Kaposia Education Center students staged Finding Nemo through the Disney Musicals in Schools program, building a new performing-arts tradition at the school.
SSP Packers sign on for college sports at the 2026 Spring Signing Day
South St. Paul Public Schools recognized Packer student-athletes who signed letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level next year.
Eagan wins a 2025 national Voice of the People award for Health and Wellness
Based on resident survey responses conducted with Polco, the City of Eagan was named a 2025 Voice of the People National Champion in Excellence for Health and Wellness, with top-performer recognition in several other categories.
Mendota Heights Auto Service highlighted for sustainable practices
A city Sustainable Mendota Heights spotlight featured Mendota Heights Auto Service for diverting industry waste from landfills, reusing used oil to heat shops and pave roads, recycling tires into playground surfaces, and landscaping with native plants.
Sustainable Mendota Heights brings residents and businesses together
Sustainable Mendota Heights is a city program that connects residents, businesses, and local leaders around shared environmental goals through education, recognition, and community projects.
Why we’re starting small
We’re starting with a small set of public local stories. Story suggestions may open later, after we have a review process in place to handle them with care.
Privacy and care
Why we begin with public stories
We’re starting with stories that are already public — city announcements, school district news, and reported events — so anyone can verify the details for themselves and no neighbor is identified without consent. As we build a careful review process, we’ll stay cautious with anything involving children, immigration status, legal or medical situations, or details a stranger could misuse.